Resilient wheel.



C. M. WEST.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 18. 1913.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

AKrm'nMH conwAsnmaTor. D c

CLYDE M. WEST, or PIOGI-IE, NEBRASKA.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. 5

Patented oer. 5, 1915.

Application filed October 18, 1913. Serial No. 795,988.

To all whom it may concern: a 1

Be it known that I, CLYDE M. Wns'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pioche, in the county of Lincoln and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to resilient wheels of that type in which the pneumatic tire will be eliminated and a simple means substituted therefor, which will not only absorb the shock occasioned to; the tread of the wheel, but will likewise be durable and inexpensive to manufacture,

An object of this invention residesin the provision of shock absorbing springs which are associated with a solid resilient tread portion, these elements being so connected together as to be capable of the shock absorbing qualities common to the pneumatic tire, and being of such a. construction as to be readily connected together for performs ing the desired function.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of my inven tion will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification. 5

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a wheel embodying my invention; and Fig.2 is a sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1:

In thedrawings wherein is illustratedlthe preferred embodiment of this invention, a hub 5 is provided which is of the ordinary substantially cylindrical configuration. slightly tapering toward the outer 'end thereof, being provided on the inner end with an enlarged'flange or disk 6, and having formed midway the ends thereof a plurality of sockets 7. The hub is provided adjacent the outer end thereof with an annular recess or groove 8, and adjacent the inner end near the flange 6, with-asimilar recess 9,

a flange 10 being extended from the hub 5 1 adjacent the annular recess 8.

Radiating from the hub 5 are a multiplicity of spokes 11 one end of each of which is engaged in one of the sockets 7, while the opposite end is in engagement with a socket 12, said socket 12 being formed on the inner face of an annular rim 13 as advantageously illustrated in Fig. 2. A plurality of sockets 12 similar to that shown in Fig. 2 are arranged in uniformly spaced relation upon the inner periphery of the rim 18 and are engaged with the spokes 11 as previously pointed out.

Normally lying in spaced relation to'the outer periphery of the rim 13 is an outer rim or flange 14 which is formed from a plurality of plates 15, each of said plates being provided with a hook 16 in the one end thereof and a recess or groove complemental to said hook 16 in the opposite end. Each of said plates has the longitudinal edges thereof bent into parallelism and is adapted for engagement with a solid resilient tread 17, the sides of said plates engaging the sides of said tread as shown to advantage in Fig. 2.

Interposed between the outer rim 14 and the hub 5 are a plurality of sets of springs each composed of an inner, an intermediate and an outer spring 18, 19 and 20, respectively. The innermost of said springs, as indicated at 18, has oneend thereof secured to the annular flange 10 of the hub 5 through the medium of a bolt 21 or analogous detachable fastening means, then is curved inwardly toward the inner rim 18, and the outer end'thereof is bent outwardly and a portion, as indicated at 22, engages the inner periphery and side face of each of said plates 15, and is detachably secured thereto through the medium of bolts 23 or the like, the inner ends ofwhich engage in the recess 24: provided inthe tread 17 ,for this purpose. The intermediate spring 19 has the inner end thereof engaged in the annular recess 8, one face thereof being in engagement with a spacing washer 25', while the opposite face is in engagement with a similar washer interposed between the" intermediate. spring and the outer spring 20, the bolt 21 extending through said washers and said springs, and also through the annular flange 10, the opposite or outer end of said intermediate spring lying in engagement with the outer faceof the spring 18, approximately midway the ends of the latter. The outer spring 20 is engaged in the annular recess 8, having the inner face thereof engaged with one of the spacing washers 25 and the outer face thereof engaged with the side of the recess 8, the head of the bolt 21 lying in engagement therewith so as to snugly hold the springs in engagement with the washers 25 and the annular flange 10 as shown. The

sets of'springs are identical on both sides of the wheel, but are oppositely disposed, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In order to limit the inward movement of the tread 17 when undue pressure is exerted on the outer periphery thereof, the inner vantage in Fig. '2 in which instance the' springs 18, 19 and 20 are arranged in parallelism to the spolres 11, a set of each of said springs being arranged on each side of one of said spokes. As soon as pressure isexerted on the tread 17, the springs 18, which are the first to betensioned will be slightly bowed, causing the lateral expansion of the springs 19 and 20 which are engaged with the springs 18 as previously pointed out, and should undue, pressure be exerted, on said tread, the inner face of each of said plates 15 will engage withthe outer periphery of the inner rim 13, thereby limiting the movement of the treads, while the outer movement of, the tread is "limited as previ: ou'sly pointed out, through the medium of the stops 26; g 1 Itfwill be understoodthat the above descriptionand accompanying drawings coin-v prehendonly the general and "preferred embodiment, of my invention and that various minorchanges in details ofQ/construction,

proportion and arrangement of the parts may belmadeuw-ithin' the scope of the ape; pended claims"without' sacrificing any of the advantages of my-invention. f Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new andd'sire to secure LettersPatent i'szf e e a A. spring-wheel including a hub, rim and -tread, spokes connecting-the hub and rim, springsarranged in pairs on said hub and secured thereto, certain oiiwhich ex tend beyondthe rim and in proximity to the margin thereof into engagement with the mifles of this patent maylbe qbtainedfor in presence of two tread, the latter being arranged in spaced relation .tothe rim, and stops mounted on the inner faces of said certain springs for abutment with the rim, whereby undue latv eral thrust of the springs is prevented when pressure is exerted on said tread.

2. A spring wheel including a hub, a

flange formed on the inner end of said hub, a flange formed in proximity to the outer ranged on the outer ends of said spokes, a,

second rim comprising aplurality of l1ingedlyc'onnectedplates arranged 1n spaced relatlon to said first mentioned run, a tread carried by said plates, a plurality of springs one end of each of which is engaged in one of said recesses, and means for securing said springs to said hub, some of said springs having engagement with said plates, for the purpose specified. I

8. A spring wheel including a hub, amultiplic'ity of spokes radiating from said hub,

a' rim connectingsaid spokes' at the outer ends thereof, a rim arranged in spaced relation to said first mentioned rim,said second mentioned r-imlcomprising a plurality of hingedly connected plates each of which-has the longitudinal' edges thereof turned into parallelism, atread portion arranged between-theparallel edges of said plates, a plurality lofYsprings one end of each of which is inengagement with s aidhub', spasing washers arranged'between each of said springs for holding the same in spaced apart relation, a series of sa'i'd spokes being arranged in .pairs on the' sides of said spokes,

said springs varymg in size, one of "the springs of'each' series being-engaged with one-i said plates, stops arranged on each of said plateengagmgvsprings for l1 m itingthe inovementofsaidr-treadf In testimony'whereoii I affix my-signa'ture witnesses. i V GLY'DE; M. WEST.

- WVitnesses:

M. L. Lian, vGrno. FRANKS.

five-cents eaclnby addressing the Commissioner of-Iatents,

' washingtonflic,

It is hereby certified that the residence of the patentee in Letters Patent N 0.

1,155,456, granted October 5, 1915, upon the application of Clyde M. West, for an improvement in Resilient ,Wheels, was erroneously Written and printed as Pioche, Nebraska, Whereas said residence should have been Written and printed as Pioche, Nevada; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of November, A. D., 1915.

R. F. XVHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] 

